Apparatus for rolling plate-glass



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

I. Pi DAVIDSON. APPARATUS FOR ROLLING PLATE GLASS. No. 547,630.

Patented Oct. 8, 1895.

(No Model) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. PQDAVIDSON. APPARATUS FOR ROLLING: PLATE GLASS.

No. 547, 9 Patented 0011.8 1895.

q R W R I UNITED STATES,

PATENT "OFFICE.

FRANCIS P. DAVIDSON, OF EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA.

APPARATUS FOR ROLLING PLATE-GLASS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 547,630, dated October 8, 1895.

' Application filed May 31, 1895- Serial No. 551,143. (No model.)

To all whom it may'concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS P. DAVIDSON, a resident of East Chicago, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Rolling Plate-Glass; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for the rolling of plate-glass or analogous substances, in which it is the intention to roll the mass to a uniform thickness.

In rolling plate-glass as heretofore practiced metal strips have been laid upon the casting-table for the' support of theheavy metal roller which is to be moved over the table from end to end thereof, with the purpose of forming a mass of glass, placed in a molten condition in front of the roller, into a plate having a thickness equal to the height of the strips or rails upon which the roller is supported above the table and between which the glass is confined.

Theoretically there should be no failure of an apparatus having the above-described construction to produce a plate of uniform thickness; but, in' fact, it is found, owing to the ductility of the glass and to the forward strain upon the just-formed portion of the plate immediately beneath the roller, dueto its integrality with the mass in front of said roller, that the plate produced lacks the desired uniformity, being intermittently drawn to less thickness than the rails supporting the roller, so as to give the plate an unequal thick.- ness and a transversely-corrugated surface. By reason of thisdefective operation of the apparatus as it has been practiced when rolling plates to be ground to a certain 'uniform thickness, I use roller-supporting strips of much greater thickness than the plate intended to be produced 'with'the result, of course, of putting anexcessive quantity of glass into the plat'e'in order that its thinner parts maybe thick enough for the desired product when finished.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide an apparatus for rolling plate-glass in which the plate may rolled to uniform adapted for use upon the roller.

thickness, or substantially so, in the first instance, thus obviating the necessity of introducing a greatly-excessive quantity of glass into the plate and of grinding away such excess to obtain uniformity.

To this end my invention consists in pro viding means for giving to the lower surface of the roller, which acts upon the glass, a backward motion relative to the table in connection with its bodily movement over the latter and in this way to prevent or compensate for the drawing action of the roller to which the reduction to the thickness of the plate below that of the roller-supporting strips is due.

In the appended drawings, illustrating my invention, I have shown additional features of construction, which will be described in connection with the description of said drawings. a

Figurel is a side elevation of a bed or table adapted for use in rolling plate-glass embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a fragmen= tary transverse vertical view of a portion of the bed, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. at is a view of a series of different-sized rings Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3, showing a modification. Fig. 6 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1, illustrating a modification. Fig. Tis a transverse vertical sectional view taken on line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view showing one end of the roller and driving mechanism.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, A designates the casting table or bed, which is of a rectangular form and is supported upon trucks B B, that rest upon the track-rails C C. The table may be-formed in any suitable manner to afford the desired smooth, level, and perfectly-rigid upper surface. At each side of the bed Ais secured a rib or rail D, shown in'these figures of L' shape incross-section I the ribs D in place, but permit them to be lifted off and removed or exchanged when de sired. The height of the ribs D or the vertical thickness of the upper flanges (1' thereof is greater than the proposed thickness of the plate of glass, (indicated at F in the drawings.)

G designates the roller, which is of any approved material, size, and form. It has its ends g reduced where it restsand. rolls upon the ribs D; but such reduction of the diameter at g is less than the height of the ribs D, so that suitable space is aiforded between the table and the body of the roller for the for mation of the desired glassplate.

Obviously when the roller G is rolled over the table upon its trunnions or reduced portions g the peripheral speed of the roller is greater than the rate of bodily movement, and as a consequence the surface of the roller adjacent to the table has a backward movement relative to the latter. This has the effect of not only rolling down the plate of glass to proper thickness, but at the same time of giving a pushing action upon the metal. backward beneath the roller, thus neutralizing the tensile strain upon the subjacent and just-formed portion of the plate, which strain is due to the causes hereinbefore referred to. As a result, the plate is left of substantially uniform thickness.

In order that the size of the trunnions 9 may be changed and the peripheral backward speed of the roller regulated to suit varying;

conditions, I may provide a series of rings g g of different thicknesses, which may be size of the bearings of the roller, and also togive the desired thickness to the product.

Any suitable means may be employed to draw or drive the roller across the bed, the means shown in this instance, Figs. 1 to 4, inelusive, consisting of the usual cables H, connected with the ends of the roller by means of hooks II, trained thence around guidesheaves Ill and to any suitably-driven winding-drum, in the usual manner.

In Fig. 5 is shown a slight modification of the apparatus, in which the ribs or rails D rest upon the bed and the roller is provided with reduced bearings for engagement with said rails in the form of circumferential grooves c, the bottoms of which form the supporting-surfaces of the roller.

In Figs. 6, 7, and 8 is shown an embodiment of the invention, in which the roller is propelled by a rack-and'pinion mechanism. shown in said figures, D D designate the roller-supporting ribs, said ribs being in this instance secured to the vertical sides of the table by means of bolts or studsd passing through vertical slots (1 and into the body of the table, thereby aifordingsuch a connection as will permit the rails to be raised or lowered bodily. I I designate a plurality of supporting-cams, upon the ends 2' of which the racks Ribs D, of different thicknesses, are the ribD.

\ the frame K andcarrying apinion K which may be turned.

rest, said cams being pivotally secured tothe sides of the table beneath said rails I) by means of studs 2', which extend through said cams into the body of the table. Each cam I is provided with an arm 7?, and all of said arms on the sameside of the table are con nected by a rod .I, by means of which the cams may be oscillated simultaneously and to the same extent. A suitable lever J is shown as attached to the end of said rod J, whereby it may be actuated, and a stop, as j, may retain the cams at their limit. of movement under pressure. The upper surface of each of the ribs D,as here shown, is divided longitudinally to give, first, a smooth inner surface d, upon which reststhetrunnion or reduced part g of the roller, and, second, a toothed outer .partior rackd, the pitch-line of the rack beracksand gear-wheelsare provided at opposite sides of the machine, as illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and 8.

As animprovedmeansot' driving the roller over the bed, a shaft G Figs. 6, 7, and 8, is fixed in the roller and arranged to extend axially outward therefrom, upon which is rotatably mounted a pinion-supporting arm or frame K, which extends radially outward to the periphery of the roller and is then doflected inward and downward behind the roller, so'that its end may rest and slide upon the smooth part d of the upper surface of K designates a shaft mounted in intermesheswith thegear G of the roller. A crank K? is provided. upon the outer end of the shaft K, by means of which the pinion The turning ofthe crank K will drive the roller, the bracket-support being drawn along by the roller, and the operators walking along at its side as the roller advances.

I claim as my invention- 1. An apparatus for rolling plate glass comprising a bed, roller supporting rails having their supporting surfaces above the level of the bed, and a rollerhaving reduced portions resting upon the rails, whereby the lower surface of theroller which acts upon the glass has a" backward movement relative to the bed, while the reduced supporting surfaces of the roller which are in contact with the rails merely roll, without slipping upon said 2. An apparatus for rolling plate glass comprisinga bed, roller supporting rails arranged roller and resting upon said rails, a rack connected with the bed and having its-pitch line in the horizontalzplane of the roller supporting rails, and gear wheels upon the roller IIO adapted to engage the rack, the pitch circle pinion to give rolling motion therethrough to of the said Wheels being of the same diameter the roller, substantially as described. as the trunnions. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 3. The combination, with the bed provided my invention I affix my signature, in presence 15 5 with a rack, and a roller provided with a of two witnesses, this 10th day of May, A. D. toothed Wheel engaged with the rack, of a 1895. frame mounted on the axis of the roller and 1 T arranged to bear and move at its opposite end FRANLIS DAVIDSOL upon a surface belonging to the bed, a pinion Witnesses:

10 mounted in said frame and engaged with the M. E. DAYTON,

toothed Wheel, and means for rotating said WILLIAM L. HALL. 

